Setting Up IDs and Codes

You must assign an ID to each bank account you use. Most function require that you specify a bank account ID for payments and receipts. For more information about defining a bank account ID, see the Bank Accounts function.

IDs and codes tell the system how to identify each item on file. The system uses these identifiers to organize information.

When you assigned IDs and codes. establish a format that makes sense for your business and use it consistently. The following suggestions may help you to establish a useful format:

• Do not use these characters in an ID or a code: | : ; & # @
• To prevent organization problems, use zeros to make all IDs the same length. If IDs are divided into more than one part, the parts should be the same length in every ID. Do not use spaces to divide IDs into more than one part. For example, use ACE-01 and ACE-11 instead of ACE-1 and ACE-11 or ACE 01 and ACE 11.
• If you use letters in IDs, use either all uppercase or all lowercase letters so that the IDs can be sorted correctly.
• Use descriptive IDs. For example, WIN001 and WIN002 are more descriptive than 000001 and 000002.
• If you want to sort items by a particular attribute - name or group - put the attribute in the ID. For example, to organize vendors by name, put the first characters of the vendor name in the vendor ID.
• To ensure that new items can be inserted into a sequence, use a combination of letters and numbers that leaves room in the sequence for later additions. For example, WIN001 and WIN005 leave room for three IDs in between.